Milton a



IVI. A. FESLER.

LIQUID FEED SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 8,191@

l ,308,005 Patented June 24, 1919.

tr-forge?? Y To all whom it may concern.'

UNITED VSTATES PATENT omnes.A

MILTON a nanna, or oAxnANn, cnLIronNIL'assIeNon To rises maar orr. gBURNER INc.,-F BosToN, vMassai;rnrsurms, n conromTIoN or massacrati.

sans.

` LIQUID-FEED SYSTEM.

Specification of. Letters Patent. Pafenlted June 24, 1919.

Application and umn s, 191s. serial No. 221,113.

Be itknown that I, MILTON A. Frasnes, a citizen of the United States',and resident of Oakland,

`used comprising a reservoir for thenoil con- Nnected by piping'with theburner, the o1l being drawn through the piping to the burner by a pumpwhich produces a vacuum or pressure reduction in the piplng. Alsof thepiping has been arranged .to form a siphon adapted to cooperate with thepump to cause the flow ofthe oil through the systern. This has beenfoundto be an eiicient system under normal conditions, but if a leak, breakorother accident occurs 1n the system, oil will escape from the piping,and

,when the siphon is used the oil may continue to flow from the reservoiruntil exhausted therefrom, with consequent loss of oil andattendant-danger and damage to the building in which the system isinstalled.

" The aim `andpurpose of the present invention is to provide asystemwhereby liquid may be automatically prevented from flowing from thesystem in case of accident thereto, or on rise of temperature to apredetermined point. A

rllhe character of the invention may be best understood by referencetothe following description of one good form thereof shown in theaccompanying drawings, Whereinz Figure 1 is a side elevation of an oilfeed system embodying the invention appliedy to a burner;

Fig. 2 on an enlarged scale is a sectionV county of Alameda, and Stateofl California, have invented an Improvement 1 *ferrind te t d drawing,th'e liquid feed' syste-m embodying the invention may be applled tovar1ous`uses, but 'forfpurposes of lllustration, in the presentinstance, the sys-,

tem is shown in connection with a crude oil burner 1, which may be ofusual constructlon and hence is unnecessary to show in letall herein. Asuitable reservoir may be provided for the liquidor oil, and may"conIveniently be in the form of a tank 3 mounted in a concrete pocket 5above the level of the floor 7 on which the burner and the where it isconnected to a feed pipe 13 extending horizontally away from thereservolr around the manhole 3c and thence other suitable material. Thepipe 13 may be .connected to a vertical feed pipe 15 which may extenddownward to a suitable vacuum pump. In the present instance is shown asteam pump of usual construction,

comprising the pump cylinder 17 and the steam cylinder 19 containingpistons connected by the connecting rod 21. `A pipe 23 leads from thepump cylinder 17 to a heating chamber 25 containing a pipe coil 26 wh1chreceives exhaust steam `from the steam cylinder and heats the fuel torender the same in better. condition for combustion. I A pipev 27 leadsfrom the heating chamber upward to a pair of branch pipes y 29 and 31,the pipe 2,9 leading to the burner and the pipe 31 leading back to theoil supply tank and serving as a return pipe for any excess oil notrequired by the burner. A dome 33 may be connected to. the oil supplypipe 27 conveniently at the juncture. of the 4branch pipes 29 and 31therewith. The oil is forced by the pump-up into this dome,

Vcompressing the air confined therein, and

thus the dome Tinsures a continuous -flow of oil to the' burner insteadof. a pulsating flow slch as otherwise would b e had by a reciprocatingpump.- A valve'35 may be pro# .vided to control the returnl orlay-*passing o' through a lire-proof wall 14 of concrete or Y oil to thereservoir. A gage 39. may be provided for the pipe`15 to indicate thevacuum or pressure reduction therein.

' vThe system of. piping leading from the reservoir to the burner maybe. in the form f a siphon, the pipes 11 and 15 constituting the shortand long legs of the siphon respectively. The construction is such thatwhen the pump draws the air f-romsaid pipes, a,

siphon effect is produced which assists in the delivery of the fuelfromthe reservolr to the burner. In the event of an accident to the system,

such, for example, as a break orleak .therein, gravity will cause'thefuel remaimng in the pipes 13 and 15 to iow therefrom with consequentloss of fuel and l1ab1l1t of 1gnition or other damage to the bui ding 1nwhich the system is installed; and Where the piping is in the form of asiphon, the oil may continue to flow` from the system .until -the'supply in the reservoir is exhaustthereof.

Since the vacuum tank is mounted in the oil reservoirv and the latter islocated in a concrete pocket separated by a fire-proofj' wall from theroom. containing the burner,

danger of ignition of the oil from accidental causes'is eliminated.

The vacuum tank maybe provided with a pipe 46 projecting from a pointadjacent the bottom of the tank up through the top of the tank andthence horizontally to the pipe 11 for delivering oil from thereservoir.

Suitable means may be rovided for cntrolling` the discharge of oithrough the piping to the vacuum pump. In the present instance, for thispurpose a feed control valve 47 is provided connected to the pipe 11 ata point conveniently accessible from the manhole 3c at the top of thereservoir. This valve comprises a seat 49 (Fig. 2) and a disk 51 urgedtoward said seat by a coil spring 53 mounted in telescoping tubes 55 andconfined between said disk and a plunger 57 having a stem 59 threaded tothe upper end of one o f the tubes 55 and adapted to be adjusted by ahandle 61 to vary the tension of said spring as required.

In operation, the pump will produce a vacuum or .pressure reduction inthe piping and the vacuum tank, thereby lifting the valve disk 51 fromits seat 4.9 against the resistance of the spring 53 and causing the oilHow from the reservoir, through the plplug to the pump. It is thenforced to the heating chamber, where it is rendered lighter and inbetter condition for burning, and thenceto the burner.

If a leak or otheraccident occurs inthe or partial vacuum in the vacuumtank will automatically draw oil up out of the pipes 13 and 15 into thetank and prevent loss of the oil in said pipes and prevent siphoning ofthe oil from the reservoir. After the system'has been repaired and thepump started again, the oilwill be first drawn from the vacuum tank,thereby roducing the vacuum therein, and then t e oil 'will be drawnfrom the reservoir as before.

It may be desirable to automatically draw the oilvor liquid from thepiping in case fire or other cause raises the temperature of the room inwhich the piping is located to a predetermined point. To accomplishthis, in

. the present instance,the union 63 in the oil -feed pipe -15 may have afitting 65 (Figs. 1 and 3) attached thereto formed to present a seat 67surrounding a port 69 opening into the room. Coperating with said seatis a valve 71 having a stem 73 fitting loosely in a guide bore in a plug75 threaded to said fitting. A link 77 of suitable fusible compositionhas one end connected to said valve and its opposite end connected to aneye in an elbow 79 projecting from` the body of the fitting.- l

The construction is such that the valve is normally held on its seat bythe fusible link, but if the temperature of the room rises to apredetermined point, such, for example as 140 degrees F., the link willfuse and allow the suction in the iping to move the Valve from its seat,there y admitting air through the port into the fitting, causing thepressure to rise in the piping .and permitting the vacuum tank to'drawthe oil from the piping into the tank.

The temperature responsive device may be located sufiiciently near tothe furnace so that in the-event of a flare back from the furnace, thefusible link will be melted and the .oil will be automatically drawnfrom the piping as described.

While the invention has been described more particularly with reference'to the feed of oil toburners, it will be obvious that it is adapted forother uses as desired.

, It will be understood that the invention is not limited to thespecific embodiment shown, but that. various deviations may be madetherefrom without departing from the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

- 1. The combination with @reservoir :forA

said reservoir, a' valve in said system, and

' means automatically to close said valve and l`withdraw from the systemliquid therein beyond said valve in the eventof a leak in the system. 4

2..'1he combination with a reservolr for liquid, of a System to conductliquid from said reservoir, a valve in said" system, and means includina vacuu-m tank automati? cally to closellsald valve and withdraw fromthe system liquid remaining in the system beyond said valve in the eventof a leak 1n the system. y n

'3L The combination with a reservoir for liquid, of a system to conductliquid from said reservoir, a valve in said system, spring means tendingto close said valve, means automaticallyto open said valve against the`resistance of'said spring means to feed liquid from said reservoir, anda vacuum tank for automatically drawing into the tank liquid vstandingin the system on closure' of sald valve.

4. The combination with a; reservolr for liquid, of a system to conductliquld from sald reservoir, a valve in said system, a pump for normallyproducing a 'suction effect in the system to open said valve and drawliquid therethrough, and a .vacuum tankcommunicating with the system forautomatically drawing liquid from the system in the event of loss osuction effect in the stem.

5. The combination with a reservoir for liquid, of a vacuum tank, pipingfor conducting liquid from the reservoirand commumcating with said tank,a valve in the piping, means normally to produce a suction effect insaid piping and tank to automatically open said valve and cause flow ofliquidfrom the reservoir, and means automatically to' close said valveto interrupt :How of 'liquid from the reservoir'on loss of the suctioneect in the piping.

6l In a liquid feed system, the combination of a reservoir for liquid,piping to conduct liquid from said reservoir, a pump to produce suctioneffect in said piping to draw liquid from the reservoir through saidpiping, a valve in said piping-opened by suction effect produced by saidpump and automatically closed on loss of said suction eect, and a vacuumtank communicating with said piping at a pointbetween said pump andvalve and operating automatically to draw liquid from the piping intosaid tank onloss of said suction effect.

l7. The combination with a reservoir for fiuid fuel, of a burner, pipingto conduct fuel from said reservoir to said burner, a pump normallytoproduce suction effect in said piping to feed fuel from the reservoir,thrapqgh the piping to the burner, and means mc). mg a vacuum tank forautomatically Vwithdrawing fuel from the piping on loss of the suctioneffect therein. L

8. The combination with a reservoir for fluid fuel of a burner, pipingto'conduct `:fuel from said reservoir to said burner, a ,valve in saidpiping, a pump to produce suction effect in said pipingto feed lfuelfrom the reservoir through.- the piping to the burner, means to heat thefuel to render the same in better condition for combustion, and meansautomatically `to withdraw the fuel from the system on loss of saidsuction effect.

9. The combination with a reservoir for liquid, a Siphon system forconducting liquid from the reservolr, means to produce a suc-v tioneffect in the system to cause the feed ofV liquid from the reservoirthrough the system, and means automatically to withdraw the li uid fromthe system in the event of a leak t erein.

10. The combination with a reservoir for liquid, of a system vto conductliquid from said reservoir, a normallyr closed valve in4 said system,temperature responsive means to allow opening of said valve, and meansautomatically to withdraw liquid from the system on opening of saidvalve.

11. .In a liquid feed system, the combination with a reservoir forliquid, of a vacuum tank, piping connected with said reservoirl and tankfor conducting liquid from said reservoir, means to reduce the pressurein said piping and tank to draw liquid from said reservoir through saidpiping, and temperature responsive means to automatically admit airtosaid piping and render said tank effective to draw liquid from saidpiplng. 4 12. In a liquid feed system, the combina- 4 tion with areservoir for liquid, of a vacuum tank, vpiping connected with saidreservoir and tank for conductingliquid from said reservoir, means toreduce the pressure in said piping and tank to draw liquid from saidreservoir through saidpiping, a valve normally preventin entrance-ofoutside air into said piping an temperature responsive means forallowing said valve to open automatically on rise of temperature thereatto a predetermined point to admit air 4to said piping and drive theliquid from said piping into -said tank. i

13. In a liquid feed system, the combination with a reservoir forliquid, of a vacuum tank, piping'connected with said reservoir and tankfor conducting liquid from said reservoir, means to reduce pressure -insaid piping and tank to. draw liquid from said reservoir, 'a valve forsaid piping normally A closed to prevent entrance of outslde air intosaid piping, and means including a fusible member for allowing saidvalve to open on -rlse of the temperature thereat to a predetqrminedpoint, to admit outside air into the piping and drive the liquidintosaid tank.

'/f v 14. In a liquid fuel feed systeln, the comburner and ledingback-fo s'aid reservoir, a bination with a reservoir for the fuel,A of avvacuum tank connected to said' feed pipe burner,a. feed pipe forconducting fuel from and `a epring-pressed valve connected to sai 10fsaid reservoirto Said b i'lllf,` Pump means feed plpe.

5 connected into saidpipe begeen smd'reser-` In testimony whereof', Ihave signed Voir and burner, a return pipe'connected to name to thisspecification. .said feed pipe between saiizlf lpump' and v MILTON A.FESLER.

